Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-08-19
BULL AGAINST GRIZZLY.

~ belonged to the engineering corp;
that surveyed the route for the Northern
Pacific Railroad" said Amos Il. n.
Smith, now of Jersey City, "and one
day, while seeking little recreation,
was a witness Of scene in wild West
ern life which have no doubt there are
plenty of people would travel far to see
if it could only be reproduced, but which
| wouldn't be spectator of again for a
good many round gold dollars.
81 left our camp at Young Mems
Buttes one day in July to try my luck
at trout fishing in the head waters of Big
Heart River, small stream five miles
from camp. The weather had been hot
and dry for some time, and when got
over to the river found the head wa
ters were not much better than dry land,
all the moisture could find heing little
puddleS here and there in the bed. The
only water likely to be found with fish
in it was the Big Cannon Ball River,
aud that was twenty miles away, so |
concluded that the best thing for me to
do would be to march right back to
camp. There was a heavy thicket along
the north bank of the stream, some dis
tance above where | came out on the
dry bed, and few cottonwood trees
standing maybe hundred yards back
from the bank. AS turned to retrace
my steps | saw a snail herd of wild cat
tie Standing off tony right, among them
was young bull and more splendid
specimen of an animal never saw. He
and the rest of the cattle were eyeing
me with suspicious curiosity. | didn't
like the appearance of the bull, for he
had a way of lowering his head, throw
ing dirt with his fore feet, and uttering
an ominous sort of below that seemed
threatening. turned and walked away,
moving toward the cottonwood trees. |
looked back over my shoulder, and saw
the bull coming along after me. | in
creased my speed, and so did he, until |
was running my fastest and the bull
was doing his best behind me. | can't
say exactly how it was done, but il was
not many seconds before found myself
in one of these cottonwood trees, out Of
reach of the bull, who was Immediately
under the tree, paving dirt and acting
very mad. | shall always believe that |
was hoisted into that tree by the bull,
although had no evidence to show for
it.
"The bull paved and grumbled under
the tree for few minutes, and then
turned and walked toward the thicket,
on the creek side of which there was
water hole. The other cattle went qui
etly to grazing where had first seen
them.
~ suppose the bull started toward the
taicket TO get a drink at the water hole,
but he never got the drink. l saw him
push his way into the thicket, and the
next instant could see that he had got
into trouble of some kind, and that
trouble proved TO be grizzly bear. A
fierce struggle followed in the thicket.
The tops Of the bushes swayed to and
fro, aud could hear the heavy crash Of
driftwood as the two powerful animals
wIithed in fierce embrace. A cloud Of
dust rolled up from the spot. 1t was
not distant over 100 yards from the tree
in which had taken refuge. Scarcely
two minutes elapsed before the bull
broke through the bushes. His head
was covered with blood, and great flakes
of flesh hung from his fore shoulders.
But instead of showing any signs of de-
feat he seemed literally TO glow with
defiant rage. Instinct had simply
prompted him in his retreat TO seek an
open space. He was 1.-THE and wirY, yet
wonderfully massive about the shoul-
ders, combining the rarest qualities of
strength and symmetry. For moment
he stood glaring at the bushes he had
retreated from, his nostrils distended,
and his whole form fixed and rigid. But
scarcely had time to note all this when